Back in April we ran the rule over the first track to be released from Solblomma’s concept album that chronicles Dante’s journey through the three kingdoms that are thought to await man after death: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory) and Paradiso (Paradise) and via two halls and the nine circles of Hell. The album will be released in November.

I said at the time “this is possibly the most powerful piece I’ve heard from Solblomma”.

Since then two others have been released, namely ‘Killer Bee {Circle II)’ and ‘Good Swimmer {Circle III).

We’ve arrived at the fourth one now, ‘Drowning in Greed (circle IV)’ which she describes thus in the sleeve notes:

“We could jump between the trees. We could dance below the clouds. A few bluebirds are passing by. I can build my dream to fit the main road. There are machines designed for that.”

If that doesn’t make any sort of sense to you join the club of people who haven’t yet grasped what Solblomma is about and her weird take on real life, fantasy, and the twilight zone between them. After a while you will sense that as bizarre as it seems she appears to have the ability to create the sort of oddball parallel universe that we come closest to when we dream.

I don’t know how many members there are in Solblomma’s fan club but I’ll bet they are all members of MENSA.

I’ve often used words like ‘zany’, ‘screwball’ and ‘quirky’ when describing Solblomma but it’s long past the time now to put them away.

These are serious compositions wrapped around lyrics that fall between deep philosophical discussions and the language they used to use on ‘Bill & Ben, the Flowerpot Men’ when I was a kid.

Musically you won’t find many works that combine experimental electronica, a catchy piano melody, random percussion ‘noises off’, funky synths, an equally funky beat and which is danceable into the bargain.

When this album comes out I fully expect to hear it in full on a highbrow radio programme like Night Tracks on BBC Radio 3 because that is where it belongs.

David James Bentley for Nordic Music Central